Life in Medieval Europe: A woman's life

CARADOC:

Ah, good day, mistress.

WOMAN:

Good day.

CARADOC:

Do you wish to have company on your walk?

WOMAN:

Not this day.

CARADOC:

Indeed? God's blood. Well, I cannot understand it. A good dowry, I have, a most domesticated man. I have two goats, a cow and a chicken. No, we ate the chicken. Just two goats and a cow. Is it perhaps I have not my lucky charm that I have now foundered upon stony times? (Scoffs) If only I had that lucky charm.

NARRATOR:

If peasant men like Caradoc had little say in life, then peasant women had even less. Girls were considered to be their fathers' property until they were married, and then ownership passed to their husband. Most had little say and marriage by the age of 12 was quite normal.

Shot of woman foraging amongst trees.

NARRATOR:

Besides helping look after the family crops, women would also gather firewood, berries and other food from the land around the village. In medieval times, much of Europe was covered with woodland. But this didn't mean that you could just take as much as you wanted. Each family had to pay the lord a penny a year for the right to collect firewood.

Shot of woman collecting sticks.

NARRATOR:

Cutting down trees was strictly forbidden without the lord's permission. Gathering firewood was extremely time-consuming, so families would try to burn as little wood as possible.

Shot of woman sweeping.

NARRATOR:

Women were also in charge of the house. Above all, this meant making sure it was kept clean... ..something of a challenge as most families would have to share their home with the animals, which were brought in at night.

Shot of woman scattering grass on mud floors.

NARRATOR:

The houses had mud floors. These would be swept every day and then covered with scented grasses to try and keep the animal smells down to a minimum. Any furniture was considered a valuable possession and would be well looked after.

Shot of woman cleaning table top.

NARRATOR:

A typical peasant family might have a trestle table and benches for eating and drinking, a chest or wardrobe to store clothes, and, if they were lucky, a bed, complete with a mattress stuffed with straw.

Shot of woman spinning cloth.

NARRATOR:

Women also made the clothes. Most peasants were too poor to buy cloth, so they'd have to spin it themselves. Women wore long, woollen dresses called kirtles and over-the-knee stockings, which were also made from wool. Underneath the kirtle, they had linen shirts called shifts.

Shot of woman measuring man's arm.

NARRATOR:

Clothes were extremely costly to make, so even wealthy peasants, like the reeve, would only have a small number of garments. Men wore woollen doublets. This was a kind of waistcoat tied up with leather laces, or points. In summer, they wore straw hats to protect them from the heat whilst working in the fields. In winter, thick felt hoods would keep out the cold.

Shot of man trying on hood.

NARRATOR:

Like the women, the men had linen underclothes. These would be washed every day. Instead of trousers, they wore woollen hose, a kind of loose-fitting stocking that could be rolled down when they were working. But the most important item of clothing was the jacket. This gave an indication of a person's status. The poorest peasants would have plain cloth and leather laces to do it up. Wealthier ones would have pewter buttons and fine embroidery.

Shot of man trying on jacket.

NARRATOR:

Felt jackets also kept out the cold during the winter months. But for most medieval people, catching a cold was the least of their worries.

Shot of Caradoc holding bottle of liquid.

CARADOC:

Master Reeve, Master Reeve, a word with you, sir? It transpires I... It is not the tavern, mark you. But I'm not feeling in the best of health.

REEVE:

No, I don't think you get proper diseases. I think you get a disease of the laziness. What you should really do is get down to the church, see the priest, and get on your knees and do some praying.

CARADOC:

I do hope it's not my lucky charm.

REEVE:

But, Caradoc, I am not interested whether you're ill or not. I expect those sheep to be sorted out this evening.

CARADOC:

But...

REEVE:

I'm not interested! Go!

Shot of Reeve pointing forcefully.

REEVE:

Go!

Shot of Caradoc entering building.